J. Howard Trachtenberg
Joseph Howard Trachtenberg (b. March 18, 1943) is an American diplomat, lawyer and former member of the United States House of Representatives. On July 18, 2009, he was appointed by President Barack Obama as the United States Ambassador to Georgeland and was confirmed by the Senate on August 3. He began serving in that position on September 23. |+'J. Howard Trachtenberg' |- |- |'Position' || 19th United States Ambassador to Georgeland |- |'Term in office' || September 23, 2009 - |- |'Preceded by' || Walter Tuscadero |- |'Succeeded by' || Incumbent |- |'Total time in office' || Incumbent |- |'Born' || March 18, 1943 |- |'Spouse' || Juliet Spacey Trachtenberg (m. 1980) |} Early life and education Trachtenberg was born March 18, 1943 in Denver, Colorado, the second of three sons of John Howard Trachtenberg, a county official, and Mary Anne Williams. His grandfather, Stefan Trachtenberg, was a Ukrainian Jew who migrated to the United States in 1886. Trachtenberg was raised in Denver but relocated to New Berlin, Wisconsin in 1958. He attended New Berlin West High School. In 1961 he was accepted to West Point and graduated 6th in his class in 1965 with a legal degree. From 1967 to 1971 he served in Vietnam as a JAG officer. In 1970 his unit came under fire from North Vietnamese forces and he was wounded. Upon his recovery he was discharged and returned to the United States. Legal career In 1973 Trachtenberg was offered a position at Wisdon and Read, a high-profile corporate law firm in Milwaukee. He remained there until 1978. In that year he was made a partner at Shaffer and Hicks, another corporate law firm, where he met his wife (see below). State politics In 1982, Trachtenberg was approached by the local Republican Party to run for the Wikipedia:Wisconsin State Assembly but rebuffed their offer on idealogical grounds, believing himself to be a moderate Democrat. He entered the Democratic primary for the 84th District of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He won the primary and in the general election on November 2 he was elected to the State Assembly with 53% of the vote. As a state Assemblyman, Trachtenberg's voting record was moderately liberal, tending towards conservative on economic matters and liberal on social policy. In 1987 an opinion piece in the Milwaukee Sentinal described Trachtenberg as the "most pro-business Democrat" in the state assembly. Congressman In 1990, Trachtenberg was elected to the House of Representatives for the 4th District of Wisconsin. He was unopposed in the primary campaign, having won the endorsement of leading state party officials. In the general election he won 59% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 3, 1991. Trachtenberg served on the House Judiciary and Appropriations committees, and from 1995 also served on the Armed Services committee. In 1995 he ran for the office of Minority Whip but was defeated. During the Bill Clinton impeachment trial, Trachtenberg spoke in Clinton's defence and declared himself "ashamed" to be a member of a Congress that "conducts witchhunts." He voted against Clinton's impeachment. In 2000, Trachtenberg announced he would not seek re-election to the House in order to spend more time with his family. His term of office ended on January 3, 2001. Post-Congress Trachtenberg returned to his home in Wisconsin and his legal practice. In 2002 he sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Wisconsin but lost it to the eventual winner of the general election, Jim Doyle. Trachtenberg supported Howard Dean's presidential campaign in 2004 and was Dean's Chairman of Finance for the Midwest. In 2008, Trachtenberg was an early supporter of Barack Obama and provided fundraising services for Obama and Democratic candidates in Wisconsin. Ambassador to Georgeland A few months after taking office, Trachtenberg was nominated to succeed Walter Tuscadero as the U.S. Ambassador to Georgeland. After his confirmation by the Senate he entered office on September 23, 2009. Personal life Trachtenberg met his wife Juliet while working for Shaffer and Hicks. They were married in 1980. They have two children, twins, Adam and Andrew (b. 1982). Category:Individuals Category:Nearly Real World Category:Ambassadors